Two Boy Scouts were killed and another was critically hurt when their sailboat hit an overhead power line, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department said. (REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein, File)
Two Boy Scouts were killed and a third was critically hurt when their sailboat hit an overhead power line, sparking a fire, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) said.
It happened Saturday afternoon at Lake O' The Pines near Avinger, according to the department.
"Preliminary investigations and observations indicates the vessel, a Catamaran sailboat, collided with an overhead transmission power line and those onboard may have been electrocuted as a result," TPWD said in a release.
Two Boy Scouts, ages 18 and 16, died at the scene, while an 11-year-old was critically injured and hospitalized in Shreveport, Louisiana, agency spokesman Steve Lightfoot said. Their names weren't immediately released.
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The catamaran was on fire, with sails up, when game wardens arrived, according to Lightfoot.
The 18-year-old was dead onboard and the 16-year-old was dead in the water, according to the TPWD release. "A third unresponsive 11-year-old victim was located in a boat nearby and was being provided CPR by good Samaritans," the agency said.
All three of the Scouts were from Troop 620 in Hallsville and wore personal flotation devices.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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